The Laughing Planet: Lapis' Story
by Ziska Ames
Summary: The gang discovers something shocking about Lapis' past. The third story in The Laughing Planet Saga.
1. Chapter 1

* * *  
Chapter 1  
* * *  
  
Molly Young was sitting on her couch fiddling with her short,   
brown hair when the doorbell rang. She stood up, dropped her pick   
behind her on the couch and bounced over to the door. She opened it and   
frowned at the sad sight that met her eyes.  
  
Standing before her was a girl. A very thin, sad looking girl.   
Her posture was terrible, bent over and beaten looking. Her chin length   
green hair hung in front of her face, obscuring it from Molly's eyes.   
It was dirty and ragged. The girl slowly lifted her head to look at   
Molly and the girl's faded brown eyes stared into Molly's sparkling   
brown ones. All in all, the girl looked very depressed and it took   
Molly a couple minutes to figure out who it was.  
  
"Kory?" she suddenly asked softly. There was disbelief in her   
voice. This wasn't the Kory she had known before she moved to San   
Francisco. The Kory she left behind in Bloomington had been happy,   
excited and generally a fun-loving person. This girl didn't look as if   
the word 'fun' was in her vocabulary.  
  
The girl's head dropped letting her hair hide her face again.   
"Hello, Molly," she said softly.  
  
Molly's eyes softened and she looked on Kory not with pity, but   
sympathy. "Oh, Kory. What happened?" She moved into the hallway of the   
apartment complex and took Kory into a gentle hug. Kory just stood   
there for a moment, then she collapsed, burying herself in Molly's arms   
and sobbing.  
  
Molly gently led her into the large apartment and sat her on   
the couch. She held and rocked Kory for a long time, before Kory pushed   
her away gently and straightened up, wiping her eyes. "I'm sorry,   
Molly. Just, so much has happened..." she trailed off staring at her   
hands.   
  
"It's okay, Kory. But what are you doing here? School just   
started and I know your parents wouldn't let you come out here alone in   
the middle of the year."  
  
Kory opened her mouth to speak, but was interrupted by a male   
voice. "Hey, Molly. Going somewhere?" Kory turned around to see a young   
guy her age holding up her old brown suitcase. He looked at her and   
blinked, then looked harder.  
  
"Kory?" he asked suddenly.  
  
"Hi, Cameron." Kory could hardly believe it was him. He had   
moved away from Bloomington at about the same time as Molly, but she   
didn't think they had gone to the same place.  
  
He placed the luggage gently inside the short hallway and   
walked over to sit next to Molly.  
  
"This is a surprise. What are you doing here?" he sounded a   
little shocked and Kory couldn't blame him. It's not often that old   
friends just show up for a visit.   
  
"She's visiting." Molly said quickly. She didn't know why her   
old friend was here, but she was sure it wasn't something Kory wanted   
spread all around. Molly knew Kory would tell her eventually. For now,   
Molly was a hostess.  
  
"Come on, Kitten." she said standing up and using an old   
nickname she had for Kory. "Let's get you settled in."  
  
  
  
"I don't know where she is. I can barely feel her. All I can   
tell is that she's alive," Jonquil said slowly to the small group of   
six gathered in what used to be Topaz and Jendra's apartment. Now only   
Jendra occupied it. It had been almost a week since Topaz left.   
  
A horrible week for all her friends. They didn't know where she   
had gone and they didn't have any clues. Jonquil had been trying all   
week to get in touch with her mentally, but their bond just didn't   
stretch to wherever Topaz was. It was aggravating him to no end that he   
could feel her in his mind, but not do anything about it. He couldn't   
locate her, or talk to her.   
  
Lapis had been staying with Jendra, sleeping in Topaz's bed at   
night. She had hoped the personal contact with something long associated   
with her lost friend would help her have a vision. But she wasn't   
getting any of Topaz. But she had been getting something.   
  
"Guys, I think I might have a lead." Everyone's attention was   
immediately focused on Lapis. "You all know I've been staying her to   
see if I could get anything on Topaz, and I haven't been." There was a   
large collective groan. "But I have been getting visions of Molly Young.   
Remember her?" Everyone but Jendra and Noki nodded. "I keep seeing her.   
So maybe, Topaz went to stay with Molly?" she finished lamely with a   
small shrug.  
  
"It's possible." Jade mussed softly.  
  
"Who's Molly?" Jendra asked.  
  
"She was a friend of ours before you and Noki moved here. She   
went to South with us for a year, then her family moved out to   
California. San Francisco if I remember right," Vanax said.   
  
"So you think Topaz went to stay with Molly?" Jonquil asked   
Lapis. She nodded.   
  
"It's the best explanation I can come up with," she answered   
verbally.  
  
"Well then. What are we waiting for? Let's go get her and bring   
her back!" Jonquil said jumping off the couch.   
  
"Wait!" Lapis said. "I don't know if we should. She didn't   
sound like she wanted to be here in the note. Maybe we should just let   
her stay for a while. She'll come back on her own some day."  
  
"I can't wait till someday," Jonquil said sadly as he fell back   
into the couch.  
  
"None of us want to wait, but maybe Lapis has a point. We   
shouldn't rush out there and drag her back. She'll come back on her own,   
hopefully," Jendra said softly placing a gentle hand on Jonquil's arm.  
  
He smiled at her. "Yeah, I guess. I don't know how long I can   
wait to see her though."  
  
  
  
"And that's all of it." Topaz finished later that night. She   
and Molly were sitting in front of Molly's fireplace with cups of cocoa   
and Topaz had just finished relating most of the story to her old   
friend. She had omitted the night world portions, saying Thora was just   
insane, because Molly was a human.  
  
"That's terrible! I can't believe that person killed all those   
poor people. I'm so sorry!" Molly cried as she hugged her friend hard.   
"It must have been awful. No wonder you ran away. Don't worry. You can   
stay here as long as you like."  
  
"Thanks," Kory said as she hugged Molly with all her strength.   
"I really just need somewhere to be away from Bloomington while I get a   
grip on reality again."  
  
"I understand. It'll work out. I promise. Now tell me some   
happy stuff. Are you still going out with Rob?" 


	2. Chapter 2

* * *  
  
Chapter 2  
  
* * *  
  
Topaz stood in the airport clutching her carry-on bag. It had been two years; two long and horrible years since she had left Bloomington and moved to San Francisco. She had lived with Molly for a time, then enrolled in a high school and gotten a job. To her parents she had explained that she couldn't stay in Bloomington, blaming her unease on Zak's death and the deaths of her friend's siblings.   
  
Her friends. Though she had made new ones, she couldn't forget her old group. She carried their pictures with her constantly. Four small picture booth pictures from when they had all crammed themselves in together.   
  
Suddenly she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. Turning, she looked into Austin's light green eyes. He had been one of the first people to befriend her at her new high school. He was a grade higher than she was and they had shared an apartment when he graduated. Topaz had been skeptical at first and little worried after how her last roommate had turned out, but Austin had always been a perfect gentleman and the situation had resulted in a deep friendship.  
  
Topaz's other friends, Molly and Cameron, had decided to stay in San Francisco. Neither were ready to go back to Bloomington, at least not to live. But Topaz knew it was time to go back. She missed her friends and her family and she owed them all an explanation for disappearing.  
  
Topaz smiled up at Austin. He towered over her 5'5" frame at 6'2", but she never felt overpowered. He was too gentle.  
  
"Worried?" he asked softly. His green eyes were full of compassion.  
  
"A little," Topaz admitted. "It's been two years, after all. And I've missed them all so much. But I still don't know if I'm really ready."   
  
"It'll be okay," Austin said as he placed his arm around Topaz's shoulders. "Come on, let's go get our luggage."  
  
  
  
Topaz had decided the best thing to do would be to stay with her parents. They had a large house and plenty of room for her and Austin. She had called earlier that week to tell her parents she was coming home. She had also asked them not to tell her friends. She wanted to surprise them.   
  
A couple of days later, Topaz prepared to find her friends. She was beginning to feel comfortable being at home again and felt it was time to visit the old haunts. In the two days they had been in Bloomington Topaz had discovered that Jade and Jendra still worked at The Laughing Planet and that Lapis had taken over her old job. They had all graduated as well and Jade, Jendra, and Lapis were sharing a new apartment. When Jendra moved out of her and Topaz's old apartment, Vanax and Jonquil had moved in. Noki was still living on his own in his small apartment.   
  
Topaz stood outside the doors of The Laughing Planet. It was after hours, but she knew the doors would still be unlocked. They used to meet here at nights to hang out when no one else was around. She assumed they still did.  
  
Topaz reached up to run her hands through her long dark hair. She had allowed her hair to grow out and go back to its natural near-black color. She was letting it flow free at the moment, so it fell almost to her hips. She took a deep breath and looked back at Austin for encouragement. With a compassionate nod, he indicated he would wait outside. She was glad he was there. She needed his support.  
  
Only a few steps inside, Topaz was struck with a sense of nostalgia. It was as if she had never left. The walls were still painted in wild splashes of color. The picture wall was a little larger, though, and there was no sign of the violence that had been a result of Abram's death. Thinking of this she glanced at the manager's door to see the same name she had just before leaving. Wardrip. She had heard he was nice, but hadn't had time to find out for herself.  
  
Topaz slid into the shadows as she looked around for her friends. She finally spotted them in a corner table. They had changed, but she knew it was them.  
  
Vanax was taller and his hair was a little longer so his bangs flopped a bit when he turned his head to talk to Lapis. Her hair was also longer, reaching just below her shoulders. Her eyes were still a bright brown, though.  
  
Noki was the exact same as she remembered him. Shining blonde hair and the deepest green eyes. He looked happier though. More relaxed than he used to be. He was laughing at some comment Jendra had made. Jendra's blonde hair was short, cut in a bob. Her blue eyes sparkled merrily as she joked with her soul-mate.  
  
Jade was also sitting there. Her hair was shorter, cut to her shoulders, and a decidedly more noticeable purple. But despite the differences, Topaz could almost imagine the last two years had never happened.   
  
Topaz's eyes searched the table. She knew who was missing. The one she wanted to see most. He wasn't there. She closed her eyes for a moment. Oh well. I'll just have to see him later.  
  
She squared her shoulders and was about to approach the table when the door slammed open and a very angry looking Jonquil walked in. He looked around briefly then quickly approached the table. Leaning over he whispered something Topaz could barely make out.  
  
"She's here. I feel her," he said softly.  
  
Everyone stopped talking and stared at him. "But, she's in San Fran… with Molly…" Lapis said slowly trailing off.  
  
"No, she's here. I know it," Jonquil said sitting down and putting his head in his hands. "She has been for awhile. I felt her about two days ago, but I can't find her anywhere and her parents won't tell me anything."  
  
"Maybe you're imagining it," Jendra said softly. Topaz felt herself being drawn forward. She needed to touch him, to breathe his scent again. She took a deep breath and laid a hand on Jonquil's back.   
  
"No, he's not," she said softly. His head shot up from his hands and he literally leaped out of his chair. He stared at her for a moment. She stood in front of him with a worried expression on her face.  
  
Maybe he hates me for leaving. Maybe he was glad I was gone. He'd been still for so long, just staring, that Topaz was beginning to worry. To wonder. To fear.   
  
She stopped immediately when he grabbed her and pulled her into a rough hug. "Oh god, Topaz. I've missed you so much," he whispered into her hair as he clutched her close. So close she felt as if she might stop breathing. She didn't care. Bursting into tears, she was content to hang in his arms. After a minute, she straightened up and turned to face the stunned group of people before her. "Hi," she said softly.   
  
"You grew your hair out." Lapis was the first to speak. Topaz smiled and fingered the long strands.  
  
"Yes. So did you."   
  
Jade frowned and stood up. "What were you thinking?!" Topaz flinched away from Jade. Her eyes were wide and afraid. "How could you just leave us? You never called or anything! You might have been dead!" Jade raged. Topaz shook hard in the face of such long suspected hatred. Jade's accusations were true and painful.  
  
"I know," she said softly. "It was terrible and stupid, but I couldn't stay here any longer. I'm sorry I never got in contact with you," she looked down at her hands. "Please don't hate me."  
  
"Of course we don't hate you!" Lapis cried as she got up and hugged Topaz gently while Jendra pulled Jade back into her chair. "It's okay, I promise. We actually knew where you were. Jade is just upset. We missed you a lot."   
  
"I missed you guys too." Suddenly everyone was standing, hugging her. Saying how much they missed her. Topaz stood in the middle of it and just smiled happily. She was where she belonged and no longer living in fear. Everything was as it should be.   
  
Belatedly, she remember Austin. "Oh! Guys, there's someone outside that I want you all to meet. And I don't think he's a Night Worlder, so fake names."  
  
She walked to the door and opened it. Looking out into the gathering darkness she spotted Austin leaning against the wall.  
  
"Hey, Austin. Come here. I want you to meet everybody."  
  
"I take it everything went okay?"   
  
"Yeah. A little awkward at first, but gosh it feels good to be back." She grabbed his hand and pulled him into the brightly lit building with exuberance.  
  
"Everyone, this is Austin. Austin, this is Chris, Rob, Jay, Shane, James and Kelli." She pointed to each of them as she introduced everyone.   
  
When she got to Lapis, Austin did the strangest thing. He kneeled. He dropped to one knee and bowed his head.  
  
"Your Royal Highness," he said in a slightly amazed voice. Lapis looked stricken. She looked around, but it was clear that Austin was addressing her. She reached over and pulled on his hands.  
  
"Stand up. I'm not a Royal anything," she said in confusion. What was wrong with this guy? She jumped slightly when they touched. He had shocked her. She quickly dismissed it to the effects of the cold weather.  
  
He stood up slowly and Lapis got a good look at his face. It was the boy. The one from her dream with the curly gold hair and the light green eyes. The one who called her 'Princess.' She narrowed her eyes.  
  
"Who are you?" she demanded.  
  
He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again unsure of what to say. How to start. How to explain his purpose. "Your Royal Highness, I am Austin Firestorm, your loyal knight and protector."  
  
Topaz's jaw dropped. "What?!" she practically shrieked. He turned to her.  
  
"I'm sorry I had to lie to you," he said seriously.  
  
"Oh, I don't care about that. I've been lying, too," she said quickly with a dismissive wave of her hand. "I wanna know why you think Kelli's royalty."  
  
"Well… she is. That is, if my assumptions are correct. Of course, they haven't been yet or I wouldn't be here. But that's not important." He rambled a little to himself before coming back into focus. "And it's a long story that I'm not sure you should hear. It may endanger your lives."  
  
Topaz crossed her arms. Might as well take the chance. "If you're talking about the Night World then just spill it cause we know and are part of it."  
  
It was Austin's turn to look confused. "You are?"   
  
Topaz nodded. "Yep. We all are. So out with it."  
  
Austin nodded a little then turning to Lapis held out a chair for her and bobbed his head. "Your Highness?" She looked aghast.  
  
"Look. I'll make a deal with you. Stop calling me 'Your Highness' and I'll sit down."  
  
"If that's what you wish, Your… Madame," he said with a grin. Lapis dropped into the chair.  
  
"Just call me Lapis, okay?" Austin nodded.   
  
"Thank you. You've just confirmed everything." Lapis looked up surprised and weary.  
  
"What do you mean?"   
  
Austin took a deep breath and turned to the others nodding at the table. Everyone sat down slowly and Austin took the last chair, between Lapis and Topaz.  
  
"Well, I suppose it all started years ago before you were even born, Lapis. To be precise, it began a year after your mother was born." 


End file.
